Kate Prusack pictured on her Facebook page.
Her beau might be the presidential candidate for the third biggest party in America, but Kate Prusack is still devoted to her day job, flipping properties in New Mexico. Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson, 63, first met Prusack during a bike race in Santa Fe in the summer of 2008. On his official website, Prusack, 63, is referred to as Johnson’s “life partner.” The couple got engaged in 2009 when he proposed to her on a ski lift at the Taos Ski Valley Resort. They are yet to marry.
On May 29, the former New Mexico governor won the Libertarian party’s nomination on the second ballot.
Here’s what you need to know about his fiancee:
1. On Their First Date, Johnson Gave Prusack a Copy of ‘Atlas Shrugged’
A feature on Johnson, written in September 2011 by Outside Online, details the former governor and Prusack’s early courtship. The couple met during a bike race in New Mexico in the summer of 2008. The article says that on their first date, Johnson gave Prusack a copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. He told her, “If you want to understand me, read this.”
In 2012, Johnson spoke extensively to the Atlas Society about his love for Rand’s critically panned novel.
When asked about Prusack’s politics by the Daily Caller in 2011, Johnson said his fiancee was “insightful and follows the daily news.”
2. Prusack Says of Johnson, ‘He Shops at Costco but He Drives a Porsche’
Johnson is reaching out to undecided Republican voters who are looking for a third-party option and are unconvinced that Donald Trump is the answer. (Getty)
Prusack told GQ magazine in 2011, speaking about Johnson, “Yes, he shops at Costco, but he drives a Porsche.” The writer had earlier in the article called Johnson “frugal beyond belief.” It mentions that the couple live together in a home in Taos, New Mexico, that Johnson built himself. At one point in the piece, Johnson reveals that he calls his fiancee by her last name.
After winning the 2016 Libertarian nomination, Johnson told a CBS News reporter, “I have the cutest 63-year-old girlfriend that has ever walked the planet!”
3. Prusack Said in 2011 That the Reason She Isn’t Married Yet Is Because ‘My Fiance’s Always on the Road’
(Facebook)
The Outside Online feature details two moments in Johnson’s life, losing 75 percent of his liquidity in the stock market and his trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. The story says the trip “cemented” his relationship with Prusack in 2009. The couple would become engaged that year.
When asked by the Daily Caller in 2011 why they hadn’t yet walked down the aisle together, Prusack said, “My fiance’s always on the road.”
4. Prusack Graduated From Goddard College in Vermont With a BA in Photography
Prusack’s profile at Realtor.com says she grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, in the town of Towanda. She’s a graduate of Goddard College in Vermont, where she got her BA in photography, and has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, since 1979. Prusack has been a real estate agent since 1990.
Her Facebook page shows Prusack and Johnson’s love of the outdoors. Skiing, biking and hiking appear to the couple’s favored activities. She also maintains a professional Facebook page and regularly updates her YouTube channel with the latest properties in Santa Fe.
5. Johnson’s Ex-Wife & Mother of His 2 Kids Died Suddenly, a Year After Their Divorce
Johnson greets supporters prior to a debate hosted by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation and moderated by former CNN talk-show host Larry King on October 23, 2012, in Chicago. (Getty)
Johnson and his wife, Dee Simms, divorced in 2005, reported the Albuquerque Journal. She told the newspaper at the time, “My heart is broken with what Gary’s done to me, but I’m a survivor and I’ll make it through this.”
Johnson told the paper, “I love her. I always will. We have just grown apart for what I consider a long time. I’ve been going from one adventure to another and I’ve been doing it by myself.”
On his official site, it says that Johnson and Simms have two adult children together, son Erik and daughter Seah.
Simms passed away in December 2006 after suffering from hypertensive heart disease, reported the Journal. During her time as the first lady of New Mexico, Simms was known for her activism against smoking and breast cancer.